Parapsychology is the study of the evidence of mental awareness or influence of external objects without interaction from known physical means. Most objects of study fall within the realm of "mind-to-mind" influence (such as extra-sensory perception, folie a deux and telepathy), "mind-to-environment" influence (such as psychokinesis and remote viewing) and "environment-to-mind" (such as hauntings and near death experiences). Collectively, these abilities are often referred to as "psionics".

The scientific validity of parapsychology research is a matter of frequent dispute and criticism, and is generally referred to as a pseudoscience, refuted by numerous rigorous scientific studies (unlike psychology, which is a recognized field of conventional science).

Contents

Parapsychology References on Lost

Astral Projection

The psychic ability to project oneself outside of the bounds of one's physical body.

Images of Walt appeared in places where he was not physically, such as visions that Shannon had in the jungle, dripping wet (when he was then in the captivity of the Others). Bea Klugh later interrogated Michael and asked him "Did Walt ever appear in a place he wasn't supposed to be? You say he was half way around the world -- did you see him?"

Clairaudience or E.S.P.

Extra-sensory perception in which one has the ability to acquire auditory information by means currently unknown to science.

In the Lost Experience, at the very beginning when the first phone number is called for 877-HANSORG, one of the messages that plays has Thomas Mittelwerk leaving a message for Hugh McIntyre. On it he says "We should go ahead and rename the Accelerated Remote Viewing Training Facility, we've got to try and put a public face on this."

In "Eggtown", Daniel and Charlotte are conducting a memory experiment with DHARMA playing cards. After being timed by Charlotte, Daniel can only remember two of three cards and, contrary to what Charlotte says, he feels he is making no progress.

Faith Healing

A form of 'alternative medicine' in which spiritual means are used to treat disease, in extreme instances, accompanied by the refusal of modern medical treatment.

In "Special", Walt felt ignored by his mother and stepfather while trying to tell them about an exotic bird he was reading about at the time, and shortly thereafter, a bird of that species flew directly into a nearby window. Walt also has an uncanny ability to affect the roll of his dice in playing backgammon with Hurley, and he perfectly guides the knife to its target when practicing with Locke, simply by envisioning it hitting the target. A polar bear appears after Walt reads Hurley's comic book, which features a polar bear.

The Monster is able to transform into the shape of someone close to or familiar to a person, such as Eko's brother Yemi.